During the 2018 Betfred Super League season over 3,000 school children were welcomed to Emerald Headingley to be part of the Rhinos’ match day experience, thanks Leeds Rhinos Foundation initiatives.
126 teams from the charity’s Ambassador clubs attended a fixture and were given the opportunity to walk out with the Rhinos players and play on the world-famous pitch at half time.
Sam Horner, community clubs development officer at Leeds Rhinos Foundation, said: “We’ve had superb support from community clubs on match days. This year we also were able to offer the children the chance to play at Elland Road when the Rhinos played there which was a great occasion.
“We are fortunate as a charity that we are able to offer these unforgettable experiences to young people. To get the chance to play on the same pitch where some of the world’s best players have played is something the children will treasure forever.”
Over 1,500 school children from 97 schools were also guests of Leeds Rhinos Foundation over the season. During their visit to the stadium, which followed coaching sessions in their schools, the children took part in pitch parades and formed the guard of honour for the Super League teams.
Adam Hewitt, education partnership coordinator for Leeds Rhinos Foundation: “It has been great to have so many children from our Ambassador Schools involved with activities this year. For many it is the first time they have seen live rugby and it is amazing that we can involve them in the day.
“We’ve even had pupils from Egremont Youth Partnership and Glasgow join us and they loved the experience. I’d like to thank Then a thank you to all the ambassadors in Leeds schools for their continued support during the 2018 season.”